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“Performing search engine optimization on a crap-filled site just makes it slightly less crappy.” (David Meerman Scott)

Source: SEO and Your Crap Filled Site (Web Ink Now)

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“Differentiate or die” (Jack Trout).

• What’s the opportunity cost of being the same?
• How are you REALLY different from your competitors?
• What can you do to get noticed?

Check out this great read on radical differentiation: ZAG: The #1 Strategy of High Performance Brands

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“Advertising is when you tell people how great you are. PR is when someone else says how great you are” (Guy Kawasaki)

Notes:

• Advertising is paid…PR is free in most cases.
• Advertising allows you to control your message (as does brand journalism)…not necessarily the case with with third party PR. With negative press, is it really better than no press at all?
• Advertising offers longevity. You can run ads indefinitely…or until you run out of money.
• PR is more credible. Consumers have become desensitized to ads and are likely more receptive to information about your product/service if it’s coming from a third person…especially if the message is being communicated by a trusted source, word of mouth, etc. Does this make PR more effective than advertising?

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• Time is a finite resource.
• Growing your small business depends on understanding where to allocate time
• Time is currency – it has value and needs to be managed
• Tangible time is spent creating revenue i.e. billable hours, time spent creating something that will be sold, retail store hours, etc.
• Intangible time is spent investing in future growth i.e. strategic planning, research, listening/learning about clients and their needs, networking, etc.

How are you spending/investing your time?

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David Meerman Scott reminds us that the market is the outside world and not your cubicle or office. Who are you marketing to?

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This visual was inspired by a great story about Seth Godin and his interaction with a panhandler in New York.

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Drew McLellan asks “Are you where your customers are looking?“. His post references online marketing and the SEM Gap that exists, but it also made me question the overall marketing reach of small business. Does your business have a marketing presence at all customer points of contact? How well do you engage with customers at each of these touch points?

Two Types of Marketing Reach

Physical Reach – Is it easy for your target market to buy from you at a specific touch point?

Example: Your target market buys books online; your website doesn’t offer e-commerce (Negative Physical Reach).

Emotional Reach – How well do you engage with your target market at a specific touch point?

Example: Your hardware store target market is do-it-yourselfers; your store is always short staffed, customers have a hard time getting their questions answered (Negative Emotional Reach).

Examples of +/- Marketing Reach

• Touch Point: In-Store
  • Your store is not located where your target market likes to shop (-)(Physical)
  • Your store always has friendly, helpful staff (+)(Emotional)
• Touch Point: Telephone
  • Your phone system is fully automated with no live attendants (-)(Physical/Emotional)
  • You have a live person pick up every call and they are qualified to help solve your customers problems (+)(Physical/Emotional)
• Touch Point: Search Engines/Website
  • Your website is poorly optimized and you don’t engage in search engine marketing (-)(Physical)
  • Your website can be found online but your navigation/usability are poor (-)(Emotional)
  • Your website offers an easy to find and easy to use quote tool that helps prospects find out the price of your product/service (+)(Physical/Emotional)

Make a list of all your small business’ marketing touch points. Are you physically and emotionally present at each point of contact? What can you do to turn negative physical/emotional reach into positives?

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